Visitor in the Night
The Winter Soldier needs to know why Captain America did not hurt him. He reaches out to an old friend of Steve's. Post CA:TWS. Oneshot.
The room is black. The man stands, listening to the old woman breathe in her sleep. Part of him cries out to kill her. His left hand curls and uncurls impatiently. She is not a threat now, but over the years she has brought much grief to his various handlers.
Another, deeper, older part of him keeps his body still, reminding him that she is a friend, not an enemy.
She was close to Rogers. She will have the answers he seeks.
Her breathing changes, becoming shallower. She is waking up. Then her breath stops, and he fears she is dead. His left hand makes another fist and he forces it to relax.
"Are you here for information, or my life?" She asks slowly. Her voice is hesitant but not fearful.
He does not know how to ask his question, but there is something he needs to know. A deep itch has been burning in him ever since he saw recognition in his target's eyes, since he watched the blond man's body relax completely in the middle of a fight under the overpass. "Why did Steve Rogers save me?" He blurts out.
"Who are you?" The old woman responds.
The man pulls back the curtain. Moonlight spills over his left shoulder, illuminating the red star, revealing his face. "I tried to kill him," the man explains. "Why did he not hurt me?"
The old woman's breath catches. "You're his friend, Bucky," the woman answers. Her voice is filled with sadness, joy, and wonder. "You are Steve's best friend."